Chapter Five
(**(Mobile Infantry Camp: Ground Zero)**)
Burning. On his left side- from his stomach to his shoulder. The pain made Zekk scream. But he was well taught- Either his training from life, or what he received from the Jedi Academy he knew he had a job. And he'd be damned if he didn't do it.
Zekk concentrate on the Force. Not to heal himself, but to block out the pain that was telling him most of the left side of his body had received first degree burns. Healing himself would take time and energy, and he didn't have them.
He looked around, everything was pitch black. And he heard voices in the dark, and smelled the stink of burnt clothing, hair, and flesh.
Zekk felt something move next to his leg, "Captain, help me... Please!"
Zekk immediately recognized the voice as Nathaniel. Zekk's heart was in his mouth as he reached down and touched his friend. The simple touch told him through the force that Nathaniel was burnt horrible on his back and legs, and also that his friend was going to die if he didn't get him medical help. Reaching out though the force he could tell that many were dying around him.
The Vong were cleaver and had hit the sleeping soldiers. Knowing that during the rest cycle that the manned gun turrets would only have a skeleton crew. And that the skeleton crew couldn't be replaced by the real man power if they were dead or dying.
Zekk reached down, trying to get Nathaniel to his feet. "We'll get you to a medic," Zekk said, "Everything will be fine. You're going to be alright."
"Anybody here and not needing medical attention?" Zekk asked.
"I'm alright, sir." A voice in the dark said.
"And I, sir." another answered. Soon those voices were accompanied by a dozen others.
Zekk recognized all of the voices. "Rymes, Keneda, and Jonnath- take all the wounded outta here. Get them to the underground medical stations. The rest of you, follow me."
The men obeyed him. Grateful to have orders.
Zekk, on the other hand, was past judging and worrying about making decisions. He gave the orders, and they obeyed it. His mind was alert as it could be even though practically half of his body was burned, and he used it to its full potential.
The bombe the Vong had dropped was an energy pressure handren. It burned everything with pure energy. Not the same as fire. It burned everything in it's path, but never sent anything on fire literally. It was like shooting micro-waves at someone and watching them sizzle from an invisible flame. It was lucky that it wasn't like the old fashion flame throwers though. The building was singed. Not totally burned to the ground. But the bombe had penetrated the roof and landed right in their midst.
Zekk opened the door, and led his troops out into the shadows. But the sky was anything but peaceful. Vong fighters and bombers littered the ground with laser fire. Explosions made the ground shake, and the deafening sound of catastrophic crashing sounds made Zekk's ears ring. But quickly he forgot about the sound as he noticed a fighter was flying strait at them. He realized it must have picked up the men's heat signatures.
"Down!"
The men dove for cover, but there wasn't really any to speak of. Zekk leapt up, grimacing when he noticed he was a big fat target, but what the hell.
Reaching his arms up he grappled the Vong ship in mid air. Stretching out through the Force he grabbed the fighter, and held it there.
Sweat ran down Zekk's forehead, and into his eyes. Making them sting. But the slight irritation was the least of his problems. He concentrated, struggling to keep the ship from firing it's cannons. Master Skywalker's words kept going through his head. 'size matters not, judge me by my size do you?' Of course when he'd first heard that saying Zekk had still be shorter than the Jedi Master. But when he left he'd been about two inches taller.
Zekk tightened his grip on the fighter, crushing it in his grip so it wasn't more than a piece of organic matter. But still organic matter had density. He found that it was a lot easier to control now that it didn't have engines fighting against him. Taking it in his Force-grasp he sent it crashing into an unsuspecting Vong bomber.
The men who lay in the shadows stared at their captain. It wasn't every day you saw someone stop a fighter by just looking at it and then crushing it, and then pulverizing another one with it.
Zekk glanced over his shoulder, letting his arms down again.
(**(Mobile Infantry Camp: Ground Zero)**)
Burning. On his left side- from his stomach to his shoulder. The pain made Zekk scream. But he was well taught- Either his training from life, or what he received from the Jedi Academy he knew he had a job. And he'd be damned if he didn't do it.
Zekk concentrate on the Force. Not to heal himself, but to block out the pain that was telling him most of the left side of his body had received first degree burns. Healing himself would take time and energy, and he didn't have them.
He looked around, everything was pitch black. And he heard voices in the dark, and smelled the stink of burnt clothing, hair, and flesh.
Zekk felt something move next to his leg, "Captain, help me... Please!"
Zekk immediately recognized the voice as Nathaniel. Zekk's heart was in his mouth as he reached down and touched his friend. The simple touch told him through the force that Nathaniel was burnt horrible on his back and legs, and also that his friend was going to die if he didn't get him medical help. Reaching out though the force he could tell that many were dying around him.
The Vong were cleaver and had hit the sleeping soldiers. Knowing that during the rest cycle that the manned gun turrets would only have a skeleton crew. And that the skeleton crew couldn't be replaced by the real man power if they were dead or dying.
Zekk reached down, trying to get Nathaniel to his feet. "We'll get you to a medic," Zekk said, "Everything will be fine. You're going to be alright."
"Anybody here and not needing medical attention?" Zekk asked.
"I'm alright, sir." A voice in the dark said.
"And I, sir." another answered. Soon those voices were accompanied by a dozen others.
Zekk recognized all of the voices. "Rymes, Keneda, and Jonnath- take all the wounded outta here. Get them to the underground medical stations. The rest of you, follow me."
The men obeyed him. Grateful to have orders.
Zekk, on the other hand, was past judging and worrying about making decisions. He gave the orders, and they obeyed it. His mind was alert as it could be even though practically half of his body was burned, and he used it to its full potential.
The bombe the Vong had dropped was an energy pressure handren. It burned everything with pure energy. Not the same as fire. It burned everything in it's path, but never sent anything on fire literally. It was like shooting micro-waves at someone and watching them sizzle from an invisible flame. It was lucky that it wasn't like the old fashion flame throwers though. The building was singed. Not totally burned to the ground. But the bombe had penetrated the roof and landed right in their midst.
Zekk opened the door, and led his troops out into the shadows. But the sky was anything but peaceful. Vong fighters and bombers littered the ground with laser fire. Explosions made the ground shake, and the deafening sound of catastrophic crashing sounds made Zekk's ears ring. But quickly he forgot about the sound as he noticed a fighter was flying strait at them. He realized it must have picked up the men's heat signatures.
"Down!"
The men dove for cover, but there wasn't really any to speak of. Zekk leapt up, grimacing when he noticed he was a big fat target, but what the hell.
Reaching his arms up he grappled the Vong ship in mid air. Stretching out through the Force he grabbed the fighter, and held it there.
Sweat ran down Zekk's forehead, and into his eyes. Making them sting. But the slight irritation was the least of his problems. He concentrated, struggling to keep the ship from firing it's cannons. Master Skywalker's words kept going through his head. 'size matters not, judge me by my size do you?' Of course when he'd first heard that saying Zekk had still be shorter than the Jedi Master. But when he left he'd been about two inches taller.
Zekk tightened his grip on the fighter, crushing it in his grip so it wasn't more than a piece of organic matter. But still organic matter had density. He found that it was a lot easier to control now that it didn't have engines fighting against him. Taking it in his Force-grasp he sent it crashing into an unsuspecting Vong bomber.
The men who lay in the shadows stared at their captain. It wasn't every day you saw someone stop a fighter by just looking at it and then crushing it, and then pulverizing another one with it.
Zekk glanced over his shoulder, letting his arms down again.